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1
Preheat oven to 325F.
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2
Have ready a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate.
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3
In a dry 5-quart heavy kettle cook 1 cup sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden.
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4
Cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling kettle, until deep golden.
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5
Immediately pour caramel into pie plate, tilting pie plate to coat bottom and side evenly, and put pie plate in a baking pan.
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6
With a vegetable peeler remove zest from 1 lemon and in a food processor pulse with remaining 1/3 cup sugar until finely chopped.
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7
Squeeze enough juice from lemons to measure 1/4 cup.
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8
In a saucepan bring cream and lemon sugar just to a boil, stirring.
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9
In a bowl whisk together eggs, yolks, vanilla, and a pinch salt until combined well and add cream mixture and lemon juice in a stream, whisking.
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10
Pour custard through a sieve into pie plate.
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11
Add enough hot water to baking pan to reach halfway up side of pie plate and bake creme caramel in middle of oven about 40 minutes, or until outer 3 inches are set but center still trembles slightly.
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12
(Custard will continue to set as it cools.)
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13
Remove pie plate from pan and cool creme caramel completely on a rack.
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14
Chill creme caramel, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
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15
Run a thin knife around edge of creme caramel and gently rotate pie plate back and forth to make sure creme caramel is loosened.
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16
Invert a flat serving plate with a slight lip over pie plate and invert creme caramel onto serving plate.
